Inhaler for analgesic or anaesthetic purposes



May 25, 1948. J. T. HAYWARD-BUTT 2,442,004

INHALER FOR ANALGESIC 0R ANAESTHETIC PURPOSES Filed Aug.' 17, 1945 John I Hot ward- Bu 1'! lnvenfor Patented May 25, 1948 INHALER FOR ANALGESIC OR ANAES- THETIC PURPOSES John Terry Hayward-Butt, Bude, North Cornwall, England Application August 17, 1945, Serial No. 611,107 In Great Britain January 29, 1945 4 Claims. 1

This invention is for improvements in or relating to inhalers for analgesic or anaesthetic purposes, and has particular reference to inhalers which are small and compact enough to be carried in the pocket and are robust in construction.

Various forms of portable inhalers are alread known but these suffer from the disadvantage that the relatively small charge of the volatile inhalant supported on fibrous absorbent material has'to be replenished comparatively frequently.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an inhaler for analgesic or anaesthetic purposes which in addition to the properties of lightness, compactness and robustness also possesses the property of having a relatively large capacity so that repeated re-charging at short intervals is unnecessary. Further it is an object of the invention to provide an inhaler which is simple to charge and use, can be stored in charged condi-. tion indefinitely and is rendered ready for use instantly.

According to the present invention, there is provided a pocket inhaler for analgesic or anaesthetic purposes which comprises a perforated nose-piece, a chamber containing fibrous absorbent material for the Volatile liquid analgesic or anaesthetic substance, one or more air inlets for directing air through the absorbent material and thence to the nose-piece, a container connected with the said chamber adapted to hold a supply of the volatile liquid and means for feeding the liquid to the absorbent material. The charge of volatile liquid may be carried in a frangible ampoule or like sealed container and the apparatus may be provided with means for breaking the ampoule to liberate the liquid.

As in the case of known inhalers air is drawn by the patient through the absorbent material moistened with the liquid and thence through the perforated nosepiece into the lungs.

The apparatus may be used for the administration of a wide variety of volatile analgesic or anaesthetic materials. The apparatus may convem'ently be of cylindrical form, the nose-piece, chamber for absorbent and the liquid container or the container for the ampoule may be screwcoupled in series.

The liquid container may be of the unspillable variety so that flooding of the absorbent chamber is prevented and the means for feeding the liquid to the chamber for the absorbent may conveniently consist of a wick, one end of which is embedded in fibrous absorbent (comprising, e. g., cotton wool, which may be in the form of dental rolls) and the other end of which dips into the liquid. The absorbent may consist of other fibrous material or of a coil of the wick itself. Alternative means for feeding the liquid may embody a device for passing a predeterminedvolume of liquid to the abosrbent as required.

The end f the liquid container or a cap covering the nose-piece may constitute a measure for the liquid so that over-filling of the container is prevented.

The apparatus is intended to be held in the hand and volatilisation of the liquid is thereby increased, Alternatively, the apparatus may embody a simple form of electric heater. I

Means may be provided, e. g., a fingerhole or a adjustable valve for controlling the flow of air through'the apparatus'and the air inlet, or inlets, may be so arranged that a-screw cap over the nose-piece constitutes an air-tight seal.

Itwill be understood that the absorbent cham-. ber and liquid container may be arranged concentrically. j

The whole apparatus may be sufiicientlysmall to be carried in the pocket, e. g., like a pen or like a pencil torch, though it will be understood that parts'may vary in relative size, shape and ar rangement. I

The apparatus may conveniently be made of metal or of synthetic resin or of both and the liquid container may be transparent. 1

The nose-piece and the rest of the apparatus may if desired be connected by a length of rubber tubing which enables the chambers for the fibrous material and liquid to be fixed, e. g., to the patients head, by means of ne or more adjust-. able elastic straps. Alternatively, the complete apparatus may be held as above-described and the nose-piece may be connected by rubber tubing to a cap for the patients nose.

When the liquid charge is contained in an ampoule this is preferably made of glass or of plastic and the means to liberate the liquid may be such as to break, crush, pierce or otherwise open the ampoule.

The ampoule may conveniently be cylindrical shape and may fit snugly within the casing of the apparatus. It may be held resiliently in place within the casing by means of fibrous material.

Means for breaking the ampoule may consist of a piston moving within the casing and provided with a'striking pin or rod passing through the end cap of the apparatus and pressed away from the ampoule by means of a spring of such stiffness that accidental dropping of the apparatus even on the rod fails to drive the piston against the ampoule.

When the apparatus is required for use the end is drivenfagaifist. az haid surface? so asto force} the pin and itspiston against the-- end of the ampoule to break it between the piston and the inner end of the nose-piece unit.

Suflicient absorbent fibrous material. islprol Theend. face of the plunger 35 remote from the vided in the container to soak up the whole ofi the contents of the ampoule.

Volatilisation of the analgesic or anaesthetic liquid into the air stream is effected by passing-- 4 the apparatus falls to the ground on the pin 21 the ampoule is not broken.

The inhaler is operated by holding it in the hand and driving the pin 21 against a hard surface'to break the ampoule 22 and liberate the liquid 2| which saturates the fibrous material 23 and 24 and the wick 20. The cap I2 is now withdrawn and the nose-piece 13 inserted in the nostril. Air is aspirated through the perforated plate i9 over the wick through the slot l6 and thence to the nose-piece. volatile: liquid is assistediby the warmth of the hand;

Referring to Figure 2, a frangible ampoule 33 is held loosely in position by inwardly-extending projections BAandby a screwthreaded plunger 35.

ampoule is grooved, as at 36, for rotation of the air, e. g. from the nose-piece end oi.theiam aratusl over a wick wound around the tube attachedtorthe' nose-piece and thence through one or more holes I or slots into the tube to the nose-piece.

It will be understoodlthatany one of a number, of' alternative: means may; be provided for breaking;.piercingoiropeningihe ampoule; Thus; theiampoulermaybe; broken by means of; a screw plunger or by; means of a lever operated from outsidethei casing; suitablegmeaiis being: provided toguard against'accidental'.breakage or the. am:- pouie'."--"

Following" is a descriptionziby way'of example andzwitlireferencetothe: accompanying. diagram:- matic drawing. of; three forms-:.of*inhaler made in accordance with the; present invention:

In the drawing,

Figure I shows partl'y in central" section: an in? haler provided with a supply of volatileanalgesic or anaesthetic. liquid in sealed: ampoule;

FigureZ shows analternativeform of inhaler, also in section V in. which the; liquid is contained in a sealed rrangimecontamer broken-bymeans of ascrew tnreaded lunger and:

Figure s nows-in section another form of a paratusin which the liquid iscontained in non spiHaBIecnjambervvitmn the casing,

Similar reference numerals denote "similar parts throughout the figuresof the drawing 7 Refer-ring to the-three figures, H is a casing which is preferably metal and has a screw tnreadedwapour -tignt no e cap lzt atone end. A nos-apiece 1-3 rovidedwith ncstril guai d leprojects from the casing I and terminates within the casing in a tubular extension I5. is slotted or otherwise perforated at IBaiid at its inner-end: preferably terminates" in a s'ia'lid' head I11, The tubular extension l'd isinposition axially in thepasmg' |1 byin ans0i-1eeating plates fend IS, the latte'r'beihg "provided with ohe or more holes forthe admis ionof air to the annularspace-betweenthecasing I land the tubular extension 5: The tubular' extension- 15 is wound witf a wickmf; fibrous liquid ab-sorbent material 211: .nefernng-tor'iguren the'volatileliquid 2 l is eldn a seaed angi e m u e z n heid in position in the'casing betweenpiugs-of fibrous material, 23 and 24. That; end time casing. remote from the pieceis closed bymeans of a scr wca H- n 'dedwith a s nder hole 25 through which. spin. 2'! or] a piston 28 passes. This piston is hldaway from the ampoule 22 by meansoi. a spring '29. which. nears against the albumen-mu.anaisorsucn that evii i .cap 38 fm; the purpose of breaking the ampoule .pand liberating theliquid.

.plungenpei g:; by means of a coin or by means of aftange 31 attached to the end of the screw Referring to" Figure 3, the casing II is divided aszin'figure 2 by a transverse wall 3| provided with an axially-projecting tube 32 and wick 20. The chamber 39 is charged with volatile liquid through the screwed on. cap 40; the amounta f liquid: being sixphthat liquid: does not flow d1: rectly through the tube. 32. Inl-this-case -thesaplparatus is instantly ready for use aslong as any liquidremains in it and requires only thegremoval of the nose-cap and. insertion in the nostril. .I

Iclaim: I

1. A pocket inhaler forjanalgesic or anaesthetic purposes. which comprises a. substantially cylindrical. casing, anose-piece projecting from one endv of. said; casing and. terminating within the casing in a perforatedtubular extension, fibrous absorbent. material; for. a volatileliquid analgesic or anaesthetic substance associated 'withthesaid tubular extension, an ampoule,- containing, a

end plate of said casingand terminating within the casing. in, a perforated..tubulaia extension, wick-like fibrous absorbentmaterial'for avolae tile liquid analgesic or anaesthetic substance wound around thesaid tubular extension and over the perforations thereof, a frangible ampoulecontaining acharge-ot the saidliquidwith, in-the casing. adiacentto. the fibrous material and means for breaking the... ampoule.- to. liberate..- the l V a V 4. A pocket inhaler for analgesic or anaesthetic purposes which comprises a. substantially cylindrical casing a nose-piece projecting; from. one end. of said casing'passin'g through a" perforated end plate of. said casing and. terminating within the casing in a slotted tubular extensions-amok of fibrous liqui-deabsorbing. materi-alc wound around" at least the slotted portion-.oBsaidtubular extension and; terminating adjacm Tran;

Vaporisation of the JOHN TERRY HAYWARD-BUTT. 5

REFERENCES CITED Number The following references are of record in the 3'5: file of this patent: 10 91149 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Dow Apr. 7, 1903 Number Name Date Ferguson Aug. 30, 1910 Heublein May 25, 1926 Fonda Feb. 19, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Mar. 23, 1905 Great Britain June 21, 1923 France May 30, 1908 (Addition to No. 367,491) 

